College GameDay made its way to Boone, North Carolina this past weekend!  The iconic pre-game college football program is typically broadcast from the campus of the team hosting a featured game being played that day.  And Saturday, the show was live from tiny and scrappy Appalachian State!  A raucous atmosphere and great American story, Appalachian State has captured the hearts and minds of college football enthusiasts from coast to coast.  And App State’s miraculous, last second, Hail Mary victory further cemented their lofty place in college football history.

It also reminded me of the last time I was in Boone, NC.

In the Fall of 1987, our Duke Club Football team, a band of ex-high school athletes who didn’t have the sense to give up tackle football, road-tripped to the middle of nowhere in Boone, NC. For some reason, we scheduled a game with Appalachian State, featuring the “walk-ons and second-stringers” of their Varsity program.  Big, mean, and country strong, these mountain men manhandled us en route to a 48-0 victory.  And it wasn’t that close.

But the game was not without its highlights and teaching moments.  On the third play from scrimmage, App State ran a shallow swing pass to the running back out the back field.  From my linebacker position, I saw the play develop immediately and ran up to make a move.  The running back bobbled the ball straight up into the air, and I had no intention of going for an interception.  I launched myself with the crown of my helmet directly into his facemask (Hey, it was the 80s.  Targeting didn’t exist!).  The running back was knocked out (cold) and a few reserves dragged him off the field to little fanfare.

On the next series, I noticed the running back on the sidelines, revived from smelling salts and firing up his teammates.  Was he actually coming back into the game? (Hey, it was the 80s.  Concussion protocol didn’t exist).  Sure enough, the running back came back on the next play.  As I pursued the ball to the other side of the field, the running back came up right behind me.

“Hey 32!  Turn around, boy!”

I turned only to be met with an open-palmed slap to the side of my helmet.  Bam!  A flash of light.  I fell to one knee as birdies tweeted around my head.

The running back towered over me.

“You can’t hurt me, fool!”

(Hey, it was the 80s.  There were no flags on the play!)

While I certainly didn’t appreciate it in the moment, I have come to admire the bravado and indestructible nature of this player.  And, as we weave through the trials and tribulations of everyday life, we are well served by keeping this mantra in mind.  We can’t let anyone or anything keep us down forever!

Amplify That Strong Voice

Our work lives can present challenges that would send any of us to the sidelines.  Clients who question our competence.  Bosses who don’t appreciate our work.  Demanding timelines.  Intense competition.  Plunging markets.  Impossible benchmarks.  Shifting compensation plans.  The resulting stress can sap our motivation and cause us to question our place in the world.  But we can’t let anyone get to us.  We have to take our smelling salts and roar back into the game!

We all have a strong voice in our heads that allows us to brush off adversity.  That fuels our persistence and grit in the face of impossible odds.  That screams of confidence and indestructibility.  But too often, difficult circumstances and conflict drown out that voice.  Resilience stems from amplifying that voice.  Having the confidence to keep moving forward despite the odds.  Having the faith to stand by our principles even when it seems the world is apathetic.  Strapping on that bullet proof vest and grinding when most people have given up on us.

We Can’t Stay Down Forever

But what happens when we get knocked out?  What happens when the circumstances are just too overwhelming?  It’s okay.  The reality is, we are all vulnerable.  We are all susceptible to negative thoughts, bad days, or just plain feeling sorry for ourselves.  We need to allow ourselves time to heal. We need to surround ourselves with people who care and get the help we need to recover.  Sometimes, we need to take a break and step away from the game for some perspective.  Standing tall in the face of the storm can take a physical and mental toll.  We are all human and there is no shame in licking our wounds and living to fight for another day.

But we can’t stay down forever.  Soon, we realize that we were given talents that we need to share with the world.  Soon, we realize that we were injured, but not out for the season.  Soon, we realize that life not about the last play, but about the next play.

And soon, we will proclaim to the world that nothing can hurt us.